Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia

The Good
Heroes III is without a doubt a great visual improvement over its predecessor, and also features digital music tracks (MP3s) as well as some modifications to the rules of the game. However, the game itself is essentially the same, and as such all that I said of Heroes of Might and Magic II applies, with the following difference:

Graphics! Heroes of Might and Magic III is simply astounding. Amazing! The graphics in this game are beautiful! Landscapes lush and realistic, cities simply magnificent. On the visual side, you just can't beat this game.

The Bad
Again, braindead AI (although somewhat improved over Heroes II) is the main problem with this game. And, as history would have it, the campaigns in Heroes III still suck. Sorry guys, just stick with the scenarios.

Also, I don't think a graphic overhaul justifies a completely new game in the series. Essentially Heroes III is just like Heroes II with thoroughly improved graphics - so why should you have to spend a fortune on the same game?

The Bottom Line
A great graphical improvement over an already well-established predecessor. Fetch this game - you won't regret it.

The Good
This is the game that finally released me from my obsession with Diablo II (LoD) and helped me make the permanent transition to Linux. There is a map editor for Linux ftp://sunsite.auc.dk/pub/os/linux/loki/extras/heroes3/ which makes the game that much more fun (Sim City anyone?) though I wish I could include my own videos and art. If version 4 were released for Linux I would be one of the first in line for it. This is one of the most interesting strategy games on the market because of the ease of use, yet complex tactical situations you have to think about.

The Bad
Not quite as complete as the Heroes of Might and Magic III version I got for Windows which came bundled with Armageddon's Blade and Shadows. Loki will be sadly missed - RIP Loki. Enemy ranged troops seem to have a big advantage stationed in a castle, AI seems a bit shakey.

The Bottom Line
If you liked Archon on the C64 then you'll love Heroes of Might and Magic III. HOMM picks up where Archon left off adding quests, a role playing slant, better graphics, and an editor which doubles the fun of the game.

If you're unfamiliar with Archon or HOMM, both games involved a sort of chess-like playing field on which a variety of monsters could do battle. But this is about where Archon left off. HOMM by contrast is much more involved: you can go on quests for the holy grail, take over enemy castles and build them up, build legions of armies, turn monsters into skeletons, etc.

Though by today's standards this game isn't cutting edge, it remains one of the most playable strategy games ever - risk doesn't even come close!

The Good
The game is a lot of fun and gives you a lot of different races to play around with. The best part about the game is that it is simple enough to learn in less than an hour, but has enough gameplay depth to play for months. The sounds effects and graphics are top notch.

The Bad
I didn't like the fact that network play is only supported with other Linux players and not with players on the Windows version. This is not really Loki's fault since they would have to reverse-engineer DirectPlay in order to be compatible, but it is a disappointment. Also, while gameplay is generally balanced, some of the factions are quite a bit weaker than the other factions in unit strength, and the cheapness of their units doesn't make up for it.

The Bottom Line
This game is in the top of the class of turn-based strategy games. Only the Warlords series and Civilization series equal or exceed its playability and game design.